Wednesday, June 30, 2010

SCOOP: 2011 Hyundai Genesis Sedan Receives Minor Updates, Including BMW-Like Gearshifter


The Genesis sedan has only been out in the market for two years, but Hyundai is getting ready to present the 2011MY with some barely noticeable styling upgrades in its home market.

Scooped here in South Korea completely undisguised, the 2011 Genesis sedan appears to get a reworked front bumper with newly styled air ducts and trim, more prominent side skirts, a chunkier chrome strip above the license plate and a new rear bumper with reshaped exhaust tips.

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More than 5,000 Suzuki Kizashi Sedans Recalled Over Glove Box Glitch


According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Suzuki's U.S. division is recalling a total of 5,701 Kizashi sedans manufactured from October 13, 2009 through May 31, 2010. The reason? The safety agency said that the center-lower glove box on the dashboard may open during a crash and possibly cause injury if it comes in contact with the front passengers.

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SPY VIDEO: New Audi A7 Sportback Doing Some Fast Laps on the 'Ring


Here's another spy video of the A7 Sportback, Audi's upcoming, low-roofline hatchback [sic]. Based on the architecture of the next-generation of the A6, the A7 will slot into the Audi lineup above the A6 and below the A8, in the same way that the A5 Sportback fits between the A4 and A6 models.

The upscale five-door model will compete with the new Mercedes-Benz CLS, and if the rumors turn out to be true, with the BMW 6-Series GT (or whatever else the Bavarian firm's decided to call the production Gran Coupe) also, when it goes on sale next year.

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Ferrari Readies Bi-Colore California Special for Goodwood Festival


A special version of Ferrari's California will make its first public appearance at this week's Goodwood Festival of Speed. Set to race in the Sunday Times Supercar Run, the California special features a two-tone finish with the body painted in Argento Nurburgring (metallic silver) and the roof and A-pillars in Nero (black), a theme that the company claims echoes its bi-colore berlinettas of the 1950s and 1960s.

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2011 Hyundai Elantra / Avante Interior Teased with Rendering


At this year's edition of the Busan Motor Show in April, Hyundai gave us our first look at the rakish new Elantra sedan, known as the Avante in its home market. However, the South Korean company only showed us its outer parts as the display model's windows were all blacked out.

Now, Hyundai is teasing us with a conceptual rendering of the Elantra's interior that, like the exterior, promises a dramatic revamp relative to the current model Judging from the sketch, the 2011 Elantra's cabin design will continue the same "sculpted" theme seen on the new Sonata's interior.

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F1 Champs Button and Hamilton to Race McLaren MP4-12C at Goodwood Festival of Speed


The upcoming McLaren MP4-12C will make its first public outing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place from Thursday 1- Sunday 4 July 2010. Event goers and enthusiasts alike will also get the chance to see McLaren's new supercar in action as reigning F1 champion Jenson Button and 2008 F1 champion Lewis Hamilton will drive the MP4-12C up Goodwood Hill on Saturday and Sunday respectively in the Supercar Run

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2011 BMW 5-Series Sedan with M Sport Package: First Photos


The first real-life photos of the 2011 BMW 5-Series sedan [F10] spiced up with the new M Sports Package were leaked on the web today. Previously seen on the 5-Series Touring through some brochure shots, the package adds numerous bits such as a typical M style front bumper, more aggressive side skirts a subtle boot lid spoiler, rear diffuser finished in a dark shade, chrome tail pipes and satin-finished chrome door sills.

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SPY VIDEO: 2011 Volkswagen Passat Saloon and Estate Facelift


Here's a spy video of the redesigned (and not all-new, as some reports suggested) for the 2011 model year, Volkswagen Passat that will break cover at the Paris Motor Show in October and arrive in dealerships early next year.

Caught here in both four-door sedan and estate body styles while trailer testing, the new Passat is expected to receive a new front- and rear-end design that will bring it more in line with the automaker's latest products such as the Scirocco and more recently, the 2011 Jetta.

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Production Version of Range Rover LRX to be Unveiled on Thursday, July 1


Land Rover will lift the covers and announce the name of its all-new compact Range Rover model based on the LRX concept car at a special event held in partnership with VOGUE magazine [sic] for the Range Rover's 40th birthday in London on Thursday, 1st of July, the British automaker announced today.

The production version of the LRX will go on sale in 2011 and will be offered in both 2WD and 4WD configurations - a first for the company. According to Land Rover, the front-wheel drive model will emit less than 130g/km of CO2 making it the 'greenest' and most fuel efficient Range Rover ever.

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Status Design Tricks Out Ferrari F430


If you believe that the Ferrari F430 isn't spicy or powerful enough for your tastes, then you may want to take a look at this tuning package from Russian tuning firm, Status Design. Named after a Russian jet fighter, the SD SU35 kit comprises of a styling package and performance upgrades.

The F430's 4.3-liter V8 powerhouse receives a recalibrated engine control unit and a high-performance exhaust system, plus new air filters. Output climbs from 490 horsepower to 525HP. According to the company, the massaging has nudged top speed to 325km/h or 202mph. For those that want more power, Status Design offers an optional supercharging kit from Novitec that boosts output to 700HP.

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New Mazda Takuya Special Editions for UK Market


Obviously Mazda has embarked on a journey to teach Japanese to British buyers. After the MX-5 Miyako limited edition series - named after a Japanese island, Mazda is now introducing the 'Takuya' special edition range, available on the Mazda2, Mazda3 and Mazda6 models. The name 'Takuya' – pronounced 'tah-koy-yah' – is taken from the Japanese for forerunner or pioneer. Changes on the special edition models are limited to cosmetic and equipment upgrades.

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Classic MINI gets a 78-liter V18 Diesel Engine with 12 Turbochargers and 3,500HP... [Take That Veyron]


If you visit this week's Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, make sure you stop by Cummins' stand to check out this one-of-a-kind Austin Mini with a unique engine-swap. In case you didn't notice, there's a colossal engine sitting just behind the passenger compartment on the classic Mini's stretched platform.

Cummins, an independent maker of diesel engines, fitted its biggest powerplant on one of the smallest cars around. The QSK78 diesel engine, which is used to power mining industry dump trucks capable of carrying 360 tonnes, is a 78-liter, 18-cylinder monster with 12 turbochargers producing 3,500HP (take that Veyron) at 1,900 rpm and 10,157 lb-ft / 13,771Nm of peak torque at 1,500 rpm.

Weighing in at over 11 tonnes (24,912 lbs), the V18 unit measures an astonishing 3,327mm (131-in.) in length, 1,633mm (65.5-in.) in width and 2,429mm (95.6-in) in height.

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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

VIDEO: Corvette Z06 Slams BMW M3 During "Reality TV Series" Rally - But Wait, There's More to This Story...


Found on Youtube, is this video of a Corvette Z06 losing control and ferociously crashing into a BMW M3 E36 parked on the side of the road during the amateur "Robin Hood Rally" in Tuxedo, NY on June 25/26, 2010.

According to the poster, even though there were plenty of spectators at the scene, and despite the fact that the driver of the BMW was inside the car at the time of the crash, no one was seriously injured. End of story? Not quite, as there is more to this story than what meets the eye.

First of all, the rally is pitched by the organizers as a reality show with amateur racers driving "on closed public roads in the heartland of America", which will air on television in Fall 2010.

A search on "The Robin Hood Rally [website]" returned some very interesting findings, including another serious crash during the first race of the series in May, and more intriguingly, a report from NBC stating that promotional material from "Robin Hood Rally" falsely claimed that the series would air on NBC...

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SPIED: 2012 BMW 3-Series Sedan - First Glimpse of the Interior


BMW is continuing the development of the new 3-series sedan, internally called the F30. Captured here by our spy photographers near the Nurburgring race track in Germany, the four-door prototype is still under heavy camouflage, thus revealing little about its exterior styling.

However, buyers should expect an evolution of the current design sprinkled with styling cues from all the latest BMWs, including a protruding kidney grill similar to that of the new 5-Series and 7-Series saloons.

Our man with the long lens managed to snag a few shots of the prototype's interior giving us a glimpse of the new dashboard design with the 1-Series-esque air-vents.

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Rare 1970 Nissan Fairlady Z 432 with Skyline GT-R Heart up for Sale


Here's a nice find for all you classic car lovers; a fully restored 1970 Nissan Fairlady Z 432 with only 12,000km [7,462 miles] on the odometer - and it's up for grabs at an undisclosed price by a Japanese dealer.

For those wondering, the Z 423 was a Japan-only version of the Fairlady Z [sold as the 240Z in the States] equipped with the same 2.0-liter inline-six S20 engine producing 160-horsepower and 177Nm as the Skyline GT-R (PGC10). It was built in limited number of units for homologation purposes. The name '432' refers to the 4 valves [per cylinder], 3 carburetors and 2 camshafts.

Along with the GT-R's straight-six that was coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox, the Z 432 featured many other upgrades including Magnesium wheels and a unique exhaust system with dual vertical tail pipes. More photos after the break.

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GM Plays Up German Heritage in New 2011 Buick Regal Campaign


These are some of the new print ads that General Motors will use to hype its all-new 2011 Buick Regal [a.k.a. the N.A. version of the European Opel Insignia] to U.S. buyers. The Detroit automaker agency has readied several messages, including one that says "Listen Closely and You May Detect a German Accent" and another one stating "We Didn't Start With a Clay Model. We Started With the European Car of the Year" - both hinting at the Regal's German roots.

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VIDEO: 2011 Ford Explorer Prototype Testing


Ford has dropped some new teaser footage of a camouflaged 2011 Explorer, with the vehicle's Program Manager, Julie Levine, describing how the new SUV is being put to the test in various on and off-road tests. The new unibody Explorer will be unwrapped in July and go on sale in the States later this year.

It will be offered with the company's new 2.0-liter Ecoboost turbocharged four-pot and a 3.5-liter V6 engine in both naturally aspirated and twin-turbocharged versions.

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Patent Drawings Reveal New Chevrolet Pickup Truck?


This just in from the patent office; General Motors has filed these drawings of an unnamed Chevrolet single-cab pickup truck with a Cruze-like split-grille. We're not sure what to make of it since there's no additional information on the filing, but there's a chance it might be a successor to the South American market Chevrolet S10 compact pickup truck.

Another -though less likely- guess is that it's a replacement for the North American Chevrolet Colorado. Of course, we could be wrong in both cases. Either way, follow the break to check out the rest of the drawings and tell us what you think in the comments section.

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Tips meningkatkan kecepatan internet ceria


Peralatan perang yang harus di siapkan

- CableNut
- TCP Optimizer
- Rokok dan kopi untuk begadang

Untuk Cablenut coba di Googling sendiri dan untuk TCP Optimizer anda bisa
download di speedguide.net.

WARNING!!! Test kecepatan internet anda sekarang!!! Setelah itu baca tutorial saya dan bandingkan.

Pertama-tama yang perlu kita setting lebih dahulu adalah MTU(Maximum Transmission Unit)

Untuk mendapatkan MTU, kita bisa pakai perintah ping -l [besaran paket] -f hingga tidak sampai DF(Defragmented), contoh ping -l 1400 -f www.google.com

Secara default di windows sendiri besaran MTU adalah 576, tapi ini bisa kita rubah sesuai dengan keinginan kita.

Nah untuk modem ceriot sendiri besaran MTUnya setelah saya ukur sebesar 1430.

Dari mana saya dapat angka segitu?

Buka command prompt anda dan ketik perintah berikut:

ping -l 1402 -f google.com(alamat website terserah anda).

Besaran MTU diukur dari angka maksimum paket yang tidak terfragmentasi +28 sebagai header. Sehingga dari cara tersebut kita mendapat angka 1402+28=1430

Sekarang buka TCP Optimizer, ke tab general settings, dan pilih custom setting trus ganti MTU nya sebesar 1430, apply changes. Bila ada perintah suruh mereboot, jangan dulu.

Berikutnya kita mulai menggunakan Cablenut. Sebelum menggunakannya, anda bisa download
file saya di SINI. File ini berisi konfigurasi yang akan di load di cablenut anda.

Buka cablenut anda, trus pilih klik file–>Open Custom settings file dan cari file yang berekstensi ccs yang anda download tadi.

Kalo sudah, akan tampak tampilan berikut

Klik save to registry dan restart kompi anda. Test kecepatan koneksi anda di speedtest.net dan lihat hasilnya. Saat ngetest saya sarankan agak lama setelah anda dial-up agar bisa didapat kecepatan maksimalnya.

Berikut parameter-parameter yang mungkin bisa anda ubah agar speednya kemungkinan bisa bertambah lagi:

1. DefaultReceiveWindow

Angka ini di dapat dari perkalian MSS(maximum Segment Size). Nilai MSS sendiri didapat dari besaran
MTU-40(dalam kasus ini kita mendapat angka 1390). Kalikan angka tersebut dengan bilangan terserah anda yang penting
speednya bisa optimal.
Di settingan saya DefaultReceivewindow nya adalah MSS*8=11120

2. TCPWindowSize

Untuk mendapatkan hasil yang terbaik, TCPWindowSize sebaiknya didasarkan pada perkalian MSS.
Agar anda tidak bingung saya kasih shortcut saja mengapa saya dapat angka segitu.
65535/1390(MSS)=47,sekian-sekian
47 koma sekian itu kita bulatkan menjadi 47 saja.
Kita kalikan lagi dengan 1390
47*1390=65330

Lalu dari angka 65330 kita kalikan 2 pangkat 2 hingga tak terbatas.

65330*2^2=261320

Untuk parameter GlobalMaxTCPWindowsize angka yang diisikan persis sama dengan TCPWindowSize.

Tambahan lagi nih, buka gpedit.msc(ketik di run), arahkan ke Local Computer Policy > Administrative Templates > Network > QOS Packet Scheduler

Lihat di sebelah kanan ada tulisan limit reservable bandwidth. Double klik, pindahkan ke enabled dan ubah jadi 0%.

Jika semua settingan yang saya berikan ini dijalankan, Insya Allah kecepatan internet ceriot anda pada jam longgar sebesar 130 kbps dan pada waktu peaktime antara 60 sampai 80 kbps.

File berikut untuk menambah kecepatan loading halaman untuk windows xp:

http://www.speedguide.net/files/sg_webtweak_2k.zip

Kalo yang punya xp sp2 anda dapat mendownload dan mengeksekusi file berikut:
http://www.speedguide.net/files/xp_sp2/EvID4226Patch211a-en.zip

File tersebut berfungsi untuk merubah pembatasan koneksi yang ada di file tcpip.sys

Ubah saja nilainya jadi 100, jika lebih dari itu bisa mengakibatkan koneksi tak terkontrol.

Tips di atas berlaku jika sinyalnya full. Jika nggak full, kata mbah-mbahnya di forum.cyberphreaking.com bisa pake antena TV+booster. Untuk lebih jelasnya silahkan kunjungi forum tersebut.

Nih screenshoot kecepatannya, tapi testnya jam 2 pagi sekaleeee.

Kelihatannya udah maksimal ya. Tapi ada yang lebih maksimal dari ini, moga2 test speednya yang salah maklum punya ISP

Untuk provider lain silahkan baca tutornya dari sini. Saya aja dapat panduannya dari situ.

Nah itulah tips sederhana dari saya. Semoga bermanfaat buat anda sekalian.

New Mazda MX-5 Miyako Special Edition Models


Borrowing its name from a Japanese holiday island, the Mazda MX-5 'Miyako' is the latest special edition version of the successful roadster to make its way to British showrooms this year.

On sale from July 1 in a limited number of 500 units, the new MX-5 Miyako is available in two flavors, the 126HP 1.8i Miyako soft-top priced at £18,385 OTR and the more powerful 160HP 2.0i Miyako roadster coupe with a folding hardtop priced at £20,885 OTR.

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VW Golf R Powered Up to 330HP by Sport-Wheels


The all-wheel drive Volkswagen Golf R is by no means a slow car, but the folks over at German tuning firm "Sport-Wheels" have decided to further enhance the performance credentials of Wolfsburg's hot hatch.

The tuning shop brings output from the standard 270-horsepower and 350Nm of peak torque to 330HP and 450Nm. The power boost comes from a recalibrated ECU as well as a custom sport exhaust system for the car's 2.0-liter TSI engine.

Read more »

Monday, June 28, 2010

Honda CR-Z and Peugeot RCZ in Diesel vs Hybrid Duel [with Video]


In Europe, Honda's CR-Z hybrid hot hatch isn't the only eco-friendly sports car available to buyers of average means. One of the most recent arrivals in the category is Peugeot's striking RCZ sports coupe that is offered with a frugal 2.0-liter diesel engine.

Two cars, two different approaches on the same topic. But which one is better? To answer this question, British magazine Auto Express took both sports cars and tested them to see which one comes on top in typical everyday use.

If you read between the lines - or in this case, the tester's words, the RCZ is a better car picking up the title in fuel economy, performance, interior styling and quality, as well as exterior looks. But -there's always a but, isn't there?- the entry-level RCZ Diesel costs £5,251 [about US$7,900 or €6,500] more than the basic CR-Z, which ultimately makes the comparison unjust.

Video and some quick facts we gathered on both cars after the jump.

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If Batman Drove a Bimmer... BMW Concept X9 Concept by Khalfi Oussama


If the Dark Knight ever wanted to ditch the Tumbler for something a bit more snazzy, Khalfi Oussama's BMW-badged X9 Concept would be a prime candidate for the job - preferably in a matter black finish. The 18-year old designer from Tunisia did not attach any information about the X9 Concept, but feel free to check out the rest of the pictures and have you say in the comments section after the jump.

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Gordon Murray's T.25 Oddball City Car Officially Revealed


Renowned Formula One race car and supercar designer Gordon Murray who gained fame for his involvement in the iconic McLaren F1 project, has finally taken the wraps off his latest creation [after more than two years of teasing], the T.25 city car.

Measuring 2.4 meters or 94.5-inches in length, 1.3 meters or 51.2-inches in width and 1.5 meters or 59-inches in height, the T.25 is smaller than Smart's minuscule Fortwo, yet Murray has managed to fit in three seats in a McLaren F1-style 1+2 layout with the driver sitting in the center of the car. The two passenger seats can be folded down allowing a luggage capacity of 720 liters.

Instead of using traditional doors, Murray opted to utilize the entire front section of the T.25 that pivots forward to allow entry into the car.

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Donald Duck Arrested for Driving Under the Influence - No, Really


This has to be the best (as in funny) news title of the day: "Donald Duck Arrested for Driving Drunk". Suffice to say, the protagonist in this DUI incident isn't Disney's famous feathered cartoon character but a 51-year-old man from Massilon, Ohio, who happens to have the same name.

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Teeth and omelets



When I was a baby, the pediatrician told my mother to feed me an egg every day. She tried. She cooked me an egg each day for years, but I refused to eat it. I hated the look, the smell, the texture and the taste. She never tried to force me — I think she just believed that one day I'd eat the egg, and all her efforts would pay off.

As an adult I came to like eggs. There were so many things you could with them. They were handy in baked goods and puddings. They could be whipped into meringues and cool frostings, dyed and decorated, or stirred into soup or fried rice. Or, they could just be cooked and eaten. Eggs could be a simple dish or a complex omelet or soufflé. Whenever I couldn't think of something to cook, I could always make an egg in one form or another. After I became a vegan I found ways to cook and bake without eggs, and really didn't miss them too much.

When tofu omelets started appearing all over the place, I was mildly intrigued, but I never got around to actually trying one — until today. My motivation wasn't to find a great egg substitute, it was to find a different soft food from the ones I'd been consuming all week. Please, no more cannelini beans and overcooked rice. No more frozen peas and spinach. No more mashed cauliflower. No more yogurt and bananas. You see, I had a back molar removed and was directed to eat soft foods. I've been in dental hell the past week after having my bad molar pried from my jaw. The root was fused to the bone and it took about an hour to get it out — in three pieces. (I was contemplating murdering the oral surgeon but he had all the sharp tools.) The dentist said my jaw would be sore for a couple of weeks. Of course I didn't believe him but here it is a week later and my jaw still aches. This seemed as good a time as any to try the tofu omelet from Vegan Brunch.



As I prepared my omelet, I started to really hope it would taste like an egg. It cooked perfectly, and I couldn't believe how much it looked like an actual omelet. In fact, it looked pretty much exactly like an omelet, and I had used black salt in the batter so the kitchen smelled like someone had been frying eggs. I really wanted to be able to gush about how it tasted just like an omelet, but it didn't. I admit I'm a little cranky and all, and maybe my opinion is a little rough at the moment, and maybe my expectations were too high given the amazing appearance and smell, but I thought the taste was kind of bland. Though I didn't think it tasted like egg, maybe with a little cheese melted inside, more salt sprinkled on top and a flavorful sauce, I'll change my mind. I will try again! (And I didn't not like it. It just wasn't what I was expecting.)

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Odds and ends
Before the tooth extraction, while my husband was out of town, I threw together a few quick 'n dirty meals for my singular eating. Here are a couple that I photographed.


Potato, asparagus and soy curls


Grilled tofu on homemade sourdough toast with lettuce, tomato and avocado

This sandwich was so packed and unstable I had to hold it in order to take its picture.

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Testing recipes

I've been kind of slacking in my recipe testing but here are two I've managed to try.


Jalapeños and friends pickling in a bowl


The finished jalapeños packed into a jar.


Baked doughnut holes

I've got a stash of the doughnut holes in the freezer, and I think I'll excuse myself now and go get one.

Chevrolet Cobalt Coupe Concept by David Cardoso


In sedan form, the Chevrolet Cobalt will soon be replaced in the U.S. by the not-so-new for most readers, Cruze, which was formally introduced in production guise at the 2008 Paris Show, and went on sale shortly after in numerous markets around the world aside from the States. But what about the Cobalt Coupe? Will we see GM presenting a successor to the two-door version of the compact model?

It's very likely as in a recent webchat on GM's Reinvention site, Mark Reuss, the man in charge of the automaker's core North American operations, strongly suggested that a coupe variant of the Cruze could be on the horizon.

And while most of us would assume that a coupe model would basically translate to a reshaped Cruze with two-doors less and perhaps a sportier roofline and other unique styling cues, independent designer David Cardoso has a different idea in mind.

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Lotus Reportedly Interested in Bob Lutz and former Rolls Royce CEO, Tom Purves


We may not have heard the last of Bob Lutz yet. According to a report from Autonews, Lotus Cars is interested in hiring the former GM Vice Chairman together with ex-CEO of Rolls Royce, Tom Purves, as advisors to help the company on its five-year turnaround plan to boost worldwide sales from around 2,500 cars in 2009, to 8,000 in 2015.

Citing two people familiar with the matter, the report claims that Lutz, who left GM this past April at age 78, has been in talks with the British sportscar-maker but has not yet received an official offer.

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2011 MINI Hatchback, Clubman and Convertible Refreshed [118 Photos]


With the exception of the newly introduced Countryman crossover, the rest of MINI's lineup that includes the hatchback, Clubman and convertible models has received a subtle facelift with styling updates and new diesel engines for the 2011 model year.

All variants of the MINI sport a new from bumper design engineered to improve pedestrian protection courtesy of larger deformation zones, new light elements in the headlamps, revised side indicators that sit in the redesigned side gill housings, restyled rear bumper and standard LED tail lights on all models. The five new paint colors and fresh alloy wheel designs complete the exterior upgrades.

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VIDEO: Dacia / Renault Worker Tries to Fix Door Problem at Production Line


[Update: Some of our readers pointed out that one or more workers seen in the video appear to talk in Russian, so it's obviously Renault's factory in Moscow]

Here's a short clip from Dacia's Romanian factory (unless we're mistaken and it's from one of Renault's other plants that also produce Dacia models), showing a worker on the production line trying to fix a problem with the passenger-side doors on what looks to be a Sandero hatchback.

The poor guy tries everything; from repeatedly tapping the locks with a hammer and slamming the doors in numerous ways to even trying to pull the door down, but nothing seems to be working as the doors simply refuse to close properly. Watch the video after the break.

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New Jaguar XF V8 75th Anniversary Edition for Australia


Continuing the series of special edition models launched to celebrate its 75th birthday, Jaguar today announced the release of the XF V8 75th Anniversary for the Australian market. Set to arrive in dealerships in the fourth quarter of the year with a starting price of AUS$128,900 [US$111,500 or €90,650] - plus on road costs, the special edition XF boast some extremely mild cosmetic and equipment upgrades over the standard 5.0 V8 model.

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